A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....11-07-03....Meet The Mayor

Billie

[Billie]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

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Born and raised in Hopkinton, Massachusetts - home of the Boston Marathon - Rus (The Mayor) credits his maternal grandmother (Nana), a Conservative and a school teacher, for the political blood which runs through his veins.

"I grew up a liberal hippie but was slapped around by Nana when I criticized Nixon. (My step father said that if Nixon won in '68 we were gonna move out of the country.) :)"

"My maternal grandfather was the Chief of Police in Hopkinton. He died of a massive coronary while directing traffic after the Thanksgiving day football game between Ashland and Hopkinton in 1956. I was his first grandson. He was 48 years old when he died; I was only 9 months."

"My grandparents on my father's side lived in Ashland; my paternal grandmother will be 97 this Thanksgiving and still sharp as a tack. We've traced their roots all the way back to the Mayflower..." *

"My paternal grandfather worked for Raytheon-Bedford Laboratories and for Raytheon-Andover Missle Operations. He was also a Ham Radio Operator, and had one of the first licenses issued. When he died we were allowed to go into his work room and found direct links to NASA, as well as little TV sets to monitor the happenings in space. He was on the team that invented the microwave oven, but then it was called the "Radar Range".

1976. It was the year that Rus joined the army. A peanut farmer from Georgia was in the Whitehouse. Stationed at Ft. Devens, Massachusetts, from March 1976 to March 1979, Rus was a cook for the Military Intelligence school.

"My best friends were the MPs, 10 Special Forces Group, and the Medics. We all had the craziest hours - I'd feed them coffee and pastry all night when the mess hall was closed. That's probably why I love to post coffee everyday."

In the 1980 Presidential Election, Rus proudly voted for Ronald Reagan, helping to name him our 40th President of the United States of America.

"Listening live to the swearing in ceremony while the hostages were being released was a very proud moment for this country and for me. I guess I was a Reagan Democrat, but I had no idea where I was politically then."

*John Stearns, one of Rus' ancestors, was a carpenter on the Mayflower; perhaps it's where The Mayor got his talent for carpentry. (Well, Jesus was a Carpenter, too....)

"Wood working is my true love; I just wish I could still do it as I did when I was younger. I would love to own and operate a custom woodworking shop. Build furniture, toys etc..."

"I've lived in Massachusetts, Arizona, California, Virginia and currently reside New York. I've been in the home building industry most of my adult life. I recently built this log cabin in Virginia."

Note: If there was ever even a sliver of doubt about The Mayor's patriotism, one look at the picture above would dispel that. How many builders so proudly display Old Glory on their unfinished homes?

New York! New York!

"In the more recent past I have been very Political. I am a registered Conservative in Liberal Western NY. Where the Rino's roam, I still haven't found a real elected republican."

"For six years I went to every town board meeting and served on the Town Center planning committee. A Director of the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce, I was nicknamed a gadfly by the Buffalo News. I took offense to that name; I am not an insect that won't go away - I am a concerned citizen that believes we have Rights to speak up when the elected aren't doing their job."

"At one point, three others and I were kicked out of a town board meeting because - God forbid! - we wanted to be heard. Roberts Rules of Order allows the People to be heard concerning issues that are on the agenda; our town didn't allow it then, but within three months the rules were changed and the people can now be heard."

"I was never afraid to write Letters to the Editor."

"In 2001 I ran for Town Council of Grand Island, NY. I sought the Republican endorsement and was turned down - too much of a threat to the female incumbent. My interview lasted an hour, and the incumbent was present. They drilled me on what I would do to help the town. She wrote down every one of my ideas and tried to put forth as her own. So I ran on the Conservative and Right to Life lines. I didn't win but I sure brought out the issues. (Surprisingly, in the past two years the town has started making the changes I advocated over the years.)"

"This was the Award-winning float my wife designed and we built for my campaign. We loaded it up with kids and supporters, and everyone was wearing a t-shirt that said: "A Vote for RUS - is a vote for US". We had fun that day. The flag is made out of tissue flowers."

"Sept 11th was primary day. (postponed for two weeks after the attack) I was being challanged on both the Conservative and the Independent lines. I was getting ready to go vote when the planes flew into the World Trade Center. I went up the street to a friend's service station and lowered his huge flag to half staff. The next few hours I was glued to Fox News and the threads here on FreeRepublic."

"A day I will never forget, and we as a Nation should never forget. What we are doing is Just and Right."

I have one final picture to add, because when you see it, you will see The Mayor in every face in that crowd, and what a true patriot looks like.

Glen Becks Rally For America in Richmond, Va in March 2003

"I am in that picture somewhere; 10,000 Patriots attended a completly peaceful event. On the other side of town there was an antiwar rally - only 1000 showed up, but there was violence and there were arrests. What a joke those people are."

Thank you, Rus, for letting us get to know you a little better today, and thank you for our daily coffee and the inspirational message found inside that purple cup each new day.

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 11-03-03 Military Monday 11-04-03 S.Dakota - Great Faces, Great Places 11-05-03 FReeper Kitties & More (Calpernia) 11-06-03 JohnHuang Essay

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

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[The Mayor]

I'm LOVING your letters to the editors, especially "Where are the parents?"

Oh yea, that was a good one.. I just wish I had a chance to put them all in. I could write a book with all the ones I wrote in 7 years.

[The Mayor]

I am honored to call you FRiend.
Thanks for all you do!!

Why Thankyou Amy.. that is sweet of you to say..

[FreeTheHostages]

{{{Lori}}} And the best of days to you!

[Diver Dave]

[FreeTheHostages]

That's scarey!

It's a lot easier to see the typos when they're not in big letters in the title, huh? ;) hee hee

[Diver Dave]

Meanwhile, ((((DD))) has been awfully quiet about being spokesperson! :-)

Quiet and shy. :)

[Mama_Bear]

OMG! what a great graphic!

Been on my profile page again I see. ;-) LOL. You are welcome there anytime.

ST.LOUIE1 found that graphic somewhere during his travels through the internet and sent it to me for my page. (Most everything on my page has come from him.) Apparently someone named "Raven" made it. Anyway, we've all "lifted" these graphics off of the internet, so they belong to everyone, I guess. It's yours to use it however, wherever you'd like. :-)

BTW, my mother says there was a Stone family who had a farm on West Union. She says she remembers a Warren (?) Stone who asked her to go skating once on the Mill Pond. Anyway, my grandparents (the Mason's) owned the farm just down from them. She says there was a dentist, Dr. Thompson, who had an office on Main Street, but that he and his wife had no children.

I hope your Dad is able to connect some of the dots here. But, since most everyone else is probably not terribly interested in all this, I will send you freepmail later this afternoon with more. :-)

Thanks for the update on your friend Russ. I will continue to keep him and his family in my prayers. And, congratulations on being our featured FReeper today. You are special around these parts. ;-)

[Billie]

Billie : VERY nice thread!

Heyyyy, Tonk! Thank you. Thanks for coming by to congratulate 'hiz honor' today. :)

[Billie]

Thank you, my FRiend Amy, for your beautiful flowers and sweet words - they are always very much appreciated.

[The Mayor]

I have a *secret*

Don't worry I won't tell anyone, hehe.... (I was born in MA) oops, it slipped

You *go* Rus! :-)

I will! Thanks

Worcestor, my uncle had an antique store there for years. It was on Highland Street I think..

[dansangel]

Worcestor, my uncle had an antique store there for years. It was on Highland Street I think..

Hey .45MAN....ring a bell? :-)

[dansangel]

Quiet and shy. :)

I'll take that as a "no" to the raise.....[sigh]

Shot down again.

:-)

[LadyX]

(This is for Mrs. The Mayor, as well.)

Billie, we love these tributes to Special Persons and getting to know them better, but when it is one of Our Own, it is pure joy to honor the recipient!

Rus slipped into our midst some time ago.
First, the cups of steaming coffee in the lovely purple cup to get us going - then with them, more recently, words to give us pause daily for thoughts about The Source of All Blessings.

We have come here to The Finest for the wonderful peaceful place it is, and in the process have become an extended family.

Thank you, Rus, for who and what you are, and what you bring out in us.
Mrs. The Mayor, it would be our pleasure if you were to register and post frequently, too!
All who enter this room love what Rus has told us of you and your beautiful family.
We roam all over the map in our varying moods, but the glue that holds us together is our faith and common vision of what Our America should be.

You would be such a welcome addition!

May God hold you close to Him and bless you . . .

[Billie]

I guess that puts an end to all speculation that Billie came from Mars. She is the most 'human' person I know (except for dutchess). LOL!See, Meg? Hopeless. LOL!

T Man, do you have any idea how hard it is to come up with a comeback when you have me laughing so hard at your comebacks! So I guess I'll just have to do this again:

However, one of these days your comeuppance will come back and make you sorry you came up with so many tacky comebacks.

[Billie]

Meanwhile, ((((DD))) has been awfully quiet about being spokesperson! :-)

Shhhhhhh, don't wake him. :)

[Billie]

LOL! Here he comes to save the day!

See, T Man, it had to happen one day ... you just can't continue to be mean to all of us poor defenseless damsels forever.

[LadyX]

To: The Thin Man; LadyX

LadyX, it is now 4 against 1. I don't know if I can hold out much longer. Helppppp........

She won't help you.... she loves me..."

Well, if there are Pickles in Life, this surely is a Big Gherkin !!

I love 'everybuddy' here, of course !!

However, some days just have to be engaged on the side of the Undie Dog...:))
Therefore, I am pledged to protect and defend my hero,
The Thin Man, against these totally unprovoked jibes.

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I must log off for a few hours.
My daughter is here to help me clean, and I am occupying the next spot in her path!

HOLD ON, TMAN !!
I shall be back to defend you properly this evening!

[Billie]

Good afternoon! A really late start for you, but glad you're here now.

[MEG33]

Take all the time you need!LOL

[The Mayor]

When is western NY going to get back their freeper cell? I will provide the venue if others help out as well.

I think we should freep mail everyone and see who responds. I agree that we need to get back together. We just need to make it happen.

And...what's your take on the elections in WNY this week?

It was a very interesting day Tuesday. I knew Giambra would win, Dan Ward offered the same old tax and spend liberal way, the way that has buried WNY in all the years past. It hurts to see that the legislature is back in control of the demonrats, it may be short lived though. Swanick (my buddy) was re-elected running on just the Ind and Conservative lines. If he gets re-elected Chairman, the Giambra plan will get some more forward motion. If not then we could be in for a big power struggle.

As you know the dems are completly against any type of regionalism and will fight tooth and nail to stop it dead in it's tracks. If they could only start working for the "People", Erie county could come back to life. Erie County government is still the largest employer in Erie County, that is so sad and is one of the things that is keeping us back. Of course Buffalo being led by the inept Tony Marshmellow is a lead weight that keeps pulling us down to the bottom of the lake.

I still hold the E.C. Republican party responsible for the cities continued woes, instead of endorsing a good republican (choke) to run against him they chose the low road and agreed to step aside as long as marshmellow endorsed Pataki. The same thing happened here on the island. The supervisor endorsed Giambra so no challanger was put up against him. That strikes a wrong cord with me. It just shows me that the republicans can be sold for a price, and that price is to 'put aside everything that you stand for, and sell out the electorate'.

See I'm getting off on a rant. I wrote my name in for supervisor, and for one of the town council seats, then only voted for a friend of mine. One of these days, and hopefully soon, the republicans here on Grand Island will put up a candidate that is worthy of running, it most likely won't be me cause I stand up to my principals and core beliefs and can not be bought for any price. < / rant >

I feel a letter to the editor coming on.. oh boy..........